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As a college student, you won’t use your laptop for your coursework only. A student also browses, watches movies, and plays games. On the market, you’ll get hundreds of models to choose from within your budget.
When deciding on a laptop, it isn’t an easy task as a student. You have to consider your budget, select the model based on your subject and need, and many more things. Depending on your budget, try to select a laptop with high components which will help you for better performances.
Here in this article, you’ll get the essential features you should consider before choosing your laptop. Hope all these factors will give proper guidelines while you make the last decision. Keep on reading to find out more about choosing a laptop.
Technical Specifications for the Laptops for College
Here are the specifications that you should consider while choosing a laptop for college-
| Category | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Screen size | 11 to 13 inches |
| Display type | IPS for great viewing |
| Processor | Core i7 or i9 |
| RAM | 4 GB RAM or more |
| ROM | 512 GB storage |
| Battery | Around 8 to 10 hours of battery life |
How to Choose a Laptop for College?
What features do you require? In what price range are you looking for a laptop? Which laptop model meets all your requirements? You’ll get all the answers here in this article-
Decide How You Will Use the Laptop
While you’re choosing your laptop you have to select it depending on the curriculum of your degree program and your needs. Suppose you’re graduating with a biology major, you must need a laptop with high graphics along with a robust processor. With a laptop for biology students, you can keep your work organized and on time.
Additionally, you need to research your college as well. If they have any special requirements, or they have any hard and fast hardware recommendations or not. Some institutions have their own computer repair centers in which they only give services to those computers which were purchased by them.
Pick an Operating System
Some colleges want to work with Windows-based laptops; others don’t care about an operating system. Windows 10 is the most common operating system nowadays, and most laptops are pre-installed with this operating system. Based on which you’re studying, you should select specific system requirements like macOS or Linux.
Screen Size and Weight
As a college student, you have to give extra priority to the laptop because of its portability and weight. A laptop under 5 pounds will be fine for you. If you choose a laptop which is light, small and easy to carry, with its faster processing power, it’ll function properly. Unless you work on big projects or something like that, you have to choose a laptop which is 11 to 13-inch screen size.
Battery Life
Make sure what type of battery life you require. Maximum batteries last for 10 to 14 hours to give support to a good laptop. When you use a smaller laptop, the batteries tend to provide more extended support as well as work more efficiently. If you use a high-performing laptop, it can consume more power and perform less efficiently. On the low end, the laptop batteries last for 8-10 hours, and on the high end 12-17 hours.
Display and Resolution
If you’re using your laptop for only browsing or word processing, you don’t need a large screen. Before choosing the display size, consider the subject you’re studying and your other needs. You’ll get many low-priced laptops with high-resolution displays. As you’re a student, 1080p resolution will be satisfactory for your condition. But if you’re searching for a higher resolution laptop, then you’ve to understand that they are a little expensive.
Processor
Among the most essential components of a laptop, the processor is responsible for handling many of the tasks associated with your laptop. Most laptops have entry or mid-level processors like core i3 or i5. If you’re among those students who use laptops for graphic or video editing, then choose Core i7 or i9, which will give you a higher-level processor.
RAM
Random Access Memory specifies how many programs you can run at the same time. Maximum laptops start with at least 4 GB of RAM, and this will be sufficient if you want a laptop for browsing along with word processing. Upgrading your RAM to 8 GB will allow your laptop to run smoothly.
In short, 4 GB of RAM can be helpful to you the most, but 8 GB can help you work smoothly. However, it can also be a long-term investment too. New models of laptops require increased memory use, but the RAM won’t change. Otherwise, your laptop will slow down over time.
Hard Drive and Storage
All the digital info on your laptop will be stored on the Hard Drive. If you have an SSD (solid-state drive), then your laptop will work faster than the regular one. These types of SSD cards have no moving parts and are more stable than the other ones. Though they often cost more, the speed and the performances are higher than the price. A standard hard drive offers at least 128 GB of storage, but sometimes students prefer to get 250 GB or even more.
Price
Laptops vary on the basis of price and quality. If you choose more cost-effective laptops, sometimes they will perform poorly as they have less powerful hardware and other components. On the other hand, expensive models of laptops have faster processors, better quality graphics cards, larger hard drives, and storage.
Graphics
Nowadays, the graphics are more powerful than the previous one. Robust graphics cards will help you to play mainstream games and allow connecting three separate displays. You can also stream up to 1080p.
Touchpad
Most people use the touchpad of their laptops and forget about the mouse they once had. While using a laptop in a cramped place or traveling, this touchpad can save you. Consider the size and location of the touchpad when selecting the laptop.
Keyboard
People use keyboards more than any other components of their laptops. While choosing the model, consider the key placements and the size of the keyboard first. A comfortable keyboard will give you a satisfying tactile feeling. Make sure you try different types of keyboards. Now open the word processor and try to write. After that, you’ll know if this keyboard is for you or not.
Ports and Connectivity
USB ports
These connectivity ports are typically used and recognizable with ease. With this port, you can connect various sorts of devices, including external hard drives, keyboards, mouse, etc. The latest version of the USB port is 3.1; its speed is 10 Gbps.
Thunderbolt™ 3 Ports
This port has a faster connection, and the speed is 40 Gbps which is 4 times faster than the USB port 3.1.
Ethernet Ports
This port works to connect with the wired network, though most laptops use Wi-Fi. But whatever if you have a poor Wi-Fi connection? This Ethernet port can save you there.
HDMI/VGA/DVI
With these ports, you can connect your displays such as HDTV or another external monitor.
SD Card Reader
This port is also known as an SDHC cardholder, which you can use for digital camera memory cards. With this, you can quickly transfer digital photos and files to your laptop.
Select a Manufacturer
Finally, choose the brands of your choice which will give you all these requirements that you need most. There are so many brands that you can choose from, and they are Dell, HP, ASUS, MacBook Air, and many gaming laptops too.
Wrapping Up
Laptops are easier to carry to the college and versatile enough to run. There are hundreds of choices you’ll get on the market when you want to choose a laptop for college. Finding the best one from all these suggestions can be very daunting. Our article will tell you all you need to know about choosing the perfect laptop for college. Hope you’ll spend your money on the perfect laptop considering the curriculum after reading these guidelines.
Thank you for reading!